Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he would push to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution in the next term if re-elected.

The debate over Indigenous recognition has been revived today by the 50th anniversary of the Yirrkala bark petitions, which paved the way for the Indigenous land rights movement.

Today Mr Rudd, who has travelled to Arnhem Land to attend the celebrations at Yirrkala, said he wanted to work with the Opposition to agree on an appropriate question to put to voters.

Mr Rudd's predecessor Julia Gillard shelved a pledge to hold a referendum this parliamentary term, saying the idea needed more time to build public support, but traditional owners in Arnhem Land say the Government is stalling.

"We're committed now to rolling out the constitutional recognition for the first Australians and we want to get that work done," Mr Rudd said.

"The history of Australian referendums is that if you don't get bipartisan support they will go down.

"So what I want to make sure happens is that we get bipartisan support and then get it to the people as soon as possible.

Mr Rudd promised to work with Indigenous people to make sure their land rights lead to economic development.

"It should be for you.... our Indigenous brothers and sisters should have the same rights as everyone else," he said.

The Prime Minister spent the afternoon in private meetings with elders talking about land rights and constitutional recognition.

The Coalition's Indigenous affairs spokesman, Nigel Scullion, says traditional owners have told him that receiving mining royalties cheques, in return for no effort, is a poison for their people.

"The next step for land rights obviously is a discussion not about, 'will we have the veto, what will they do on my land?'. Aboriginal people and islander people across Australia are rightly demanding that the new way will be, 'I want a piece of the action'."